Press



Dec. 22, 1942. DQPARSQNS r 2,306,319

PRES S Filed June 17, 1942 Patented Dec. 22, 1942 PRESS Theodore D.Parsons, Marblehead, and Roger M. Silsby, Beverly, Mass., assignors toUnited Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation ofNew Jersey Application June 17, 1942, SerialNo. 447,474 In Great BritainOctober 30, 1941 7 10 Claims. (01. 164-23) This invention relates topresses and is herein illustrated as embodied in a press of the typedisclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 921,503, granted May 11,1909, upon application of Arthur Bates, and which is particularlyadapted to produce blanks from sheet material by the means of cuttingdies.

Presses of the type referred to are commonly used in the shoe industryfor cutting shoe part blanks from leather or fabric, and usuallycomprise a cutting bed for supporting sheet material to be operatedupon, a vertical post, a presser member or beam carried by the post andmovable laterally over the cutting bed about the axis of the post intooperative position relatively to a freely movable die located on thematerial, the presser member being movable toward the cutting bed duringa reciprocation of the post to effect a pressure-applying operation uponthe die to cause it to produce a blank. The procedure followed by theoperator of such a machine in producing each blank consists in locatingthe die upon the material on the bed, swinging the presser member intoposition over the die, actuating means for initiating a power operationof the member to force the die through the material, and swinging themember away from over the die so that the blank formed can be removed.The operator, during the course of a day, moves the presser member backand forth across the cutting bed hundreds or thousands of times.Consequently, in order to relieve the operator from as much physicaleffort as possible, it is desirable to make the presser member as lightas is possible consistent with rigidity and strength. This has beenaccomplished in existing machines by forming the presser members orbeams of an aluminum alloy, as disclosed in United States Letters PatentNo. 1,629,870, granted May 24, 1927, upon application of Patrick J.Horgan. Clicking machines equipped with aluminum alloy beams have beenhighly satisfactory, but in view of the recent shortage of aluminum, ithas been found necessary or desirable to obtain a suitable substitute.Some experimentation has been made in connection with fabricated steelbeams, that is, beams formed of steel plates welded together, butheretofore, as far as known, such constructions have not proved to besatisfactory in use.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention toprovide, for use in machines of the type referred to, a beam which iscomparatively light in weight, yet sufficiently strong and rigid towithstand the stresses to which it,

is subjected during operation of the machine. To this end, and asillustrated, we have provided a beam for presses comprising a baseplate, and a plurality of nested, hollow shells extending along the baseplate and constituting reinforcing members for the same, the parts beingwelded together to form a rigid structure. and as shown, there are alsoreinforcing plates extending longitudinally of the base plate and weldedthereto, the plates being arranged to convey the stresses of the appliedload to a supporting bracket to which the base plate and shells areWelded. The reinforcing plates and the shells are spaced over the baseplate in such a manner that they constitute a rigid structure backing upthe base plate, thereby to resist forces tending to deflect the plate,thus contributing to the stiffness or rigidity of the beam.

These and other features of the invention are disclosed in the followingspecification and in the accompanying drawing, and are pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a View in vertical side elevation of a portion of a clickingmachine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a finished beam;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View, taken along the line IIII II of Fig.2; and

Fig. 4 is an exploded view showing, in perspective, various parts of thebeam.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in a clicking machine, which,as shown in Fig. 1, comprises a C-shaped frame Ill supporting a cuttingbed !2, and a post It arranged for vertical reciprocation and to whichis secured a laterally extending beam I 5 movable about the axis of thepost over the bed by means of a handle [8, which, when depressed,initiates a reciprocation of the post, by mechanism not shown in detail,to efiect a pressure-applying operation of the beam upon work positionedupon the bed. For a more complete description of the construction andoperation of the machine thus far described, reference may be had to theaforementioned Letters Patent to Bates.

The beam I6 comprises an assembly of parts welded together to form aunitary structure. The principal parts include a supporting bracket 28(Fig. 4) by which the beam is secured to the post, a base plate 22extending substantially at right angles to the bracket and forming thestriking portion of the beam, reinforcing plates 24 and 26, and twohollow reinforcing shells 2'8 and 30.

Preferably The bracket 20 (Fig. 4) is arcuate in shape and has a curvedsurface 32 adapted closely to fit the surface of the post M. The upperportion of the bracket i provided with ears 34 arranged to receive bolts36 which pass through a clamping member, 38 for securing the upper endof the bracket to the post. The lower portion of the bracket comprises acurved block 46 Welded to the body portion of the bracket at 42. Theblock is l provided with ears 44 arranged to receive attaching bolts 46,the inner ends of which are welded to the base plate 22, as shown at 48,and the outer ends of which pass through a clamping member 50, the partsbeing secured in position on the post by nuts 52.

The base plate 22 is curved at its inner, end to fit the bracket and iswelded thereto, as shown at 54. The central portions of the base plate,which are subjected to considerable stresses during operation of thebeam, are reinforced by the plates 24 and 26. The plate 24 extendslongitudinally of the base plate and heightwise of the bracket, and iswelded to the base plate at 56 and to the bracket at 58. The height ofthe reinforcing plate 24 is greatest at the bracket, where the stressesin the plate when loaded are a maximum, and is tapered outwardly alongthe base plate in order to eliminate excess weight. The ribs 26 compriseupstanding plates extending at angles of about 30 to the plate 24 andare welded to the same at 6B and to the base plate at 62. The ribs 26serve as additional reinforcement for the central portions of the baseplate and transmit stresses rearwardly to the plate 24. Thereinforcingplates 24 and 26 thus constitute means for transmitting applied forcesto the supporting bracket, which is rigidly supported by the post. withthe result that the beam itself is stiffened against forces tending todeflect it.

The shells 28 and 39 also act as reinforcing members for the base plateand serve to transmit to the supporting bracket 20 forces applied to thebase plate along the side and the end portions thereof. Each of theshells 28 and 30 is hollow,

conveniently being formed of two pressed steel sections Welded togetherat 64 and 66 (Fig. 3). respectively. The shell 28 is shaped closely tofit over the plates 24 and 2B and is welded to the bracket and to thebase plate at 68 (Fig. 3). The outer shell 30 is similar in shape to theshell 28, but is sufficiently larger to nest over it and is welded tothe base plate at (Fig. 2) and to the bracket at 12.

The beam is provided with bumpers, in the form of spring pressedplungers 14 (Fig. 3), for cushioning the movement of the beam, if itshould be swung against the frame. These plungers are positioned withina tube 16 which extends through openings 18 and 80 in the shells and 82(Fig. 4) in the main reinforcing plate and is welded to the shell 3!] at83. The forward end of the beam has welded to it a boss 84, upon whichis positioned a pin 86 (Fig. 1) which carries the starting handle 18.

In order to prevent the dulling of double-edged cutting dies, the beamis preferably provided with a striking plate 88 (Fig. 2) secured by stud90 and nuts 92 to the underside of the base plate.

This striking plate is preferably of comparatively soft material, suchas aluminum, which will not destroy the upwardly disposed edge of a diewhen the beam is brought down upon the same in forcing the die throughmaterial being operated upon.

It is to be noted that the arrangement and spacing of the reinforcingplate 24, the ribs and the shells 28 and 30, are such that the baseplate 22 is backed up over its entire upper surface, the various membersforming struts or trusses. The distance between the members are lessthan the length of the smallest die which is likely to be used,,with theresult that a die will bridge over at least two of the members.Consequently, the applied load is distributed through the variousmembers to the supporting bracket 20 and the post I4. This constructioncontributes markedly to the strength and stiffness of the beam, and atthe same time makes it possible to use parts of a thickness such thatthe weight of the beam is not materially greater than that of lightalloy beams of the same size and comparable strength.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A beam for presses, comprising a base plate, a reinforcing plateextending centrally and longitudinally of the base plate, a supportingbracket welded to the base plate and to the reinforcing plate, and aplurality of hollow shells enclosing the reinforcing plate and welded tothe base plate and to the bracket.

2. A beam for presses, comprising a supportin bracket, a base platewelded to thebracket, and a plurality of nested hollow shells extendinglongitudinally of the base plate and welded thereto and to the bracket.

3. A beam for presses, comprising a supporting bracket, a base platewelded to the bracket, a reinforcing plate extending from the base plateheightwise of the bracket and welded to the bracket and to the baseplate, and a plurality of nested hollow shells enclosing the reinforcingplate and welded to the base plate and to the bracket.

4. A beam for clicking machines, comprising a bracket adapted to besecured to the post of a clicking machine, a base plate welded to thebracket, a reinforcing plate extending heightwise of the bracket andtapered outwardly therefrom along the central portion of the base plate,the reinforcing plate being welded to the bracket and to the base plate,and a plurality of hollow shells enclosing the reinforcing plate andwelded to the bracket and to the base plate.

5. A beam for presses, comprising a supporting bracket, a base platewelded to the bracket, a reinforcing plate extending from the base plateheightwise of the bracket and welded to the bracket and to the baseplate, and a plurality of nested hollow shells enclosing the reinforcingplate and Welded to the base plate at spaced distances outwardly of thereinforcing plate.

6. A beam for clicking machines, comprising a bracket adapted to besecured to the post of a clicking machine, a base plate welded to thebracket, a reinforcing plate extending heightwise of the bracket andtapered outwardly therefrom along the central portion of the base plate,the reinforcing plate being welded to the bracket and to the base plate,a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending outwardly from the reinforcingplate and welded thereto and to the base plate, and a plurality ofhollow shells enclosing the reinforcing plate and the ribs and welded tothe bracket and to the base plate.

7. A beam for clicking machines, comprising a base plate, a bracketwelded to the base plate, a vertical reinforcing plate extendinglongitudinally of the base plate and welded thereto and to the bracket,and a hollow shell enclosing the reinforcing plate in closejuxtaposition thereto and welded to the bracket and to the base plate.

8. A beam for clicking machines, comprising a base plate, a bracketwelded to the base plate, a plurality of reinforcing plates extendingheightwise of the bracket and welded to the base plate, and a hollowshell enclosing the reinforcing plates in close juxtaposition theretoand welded to the base plate and to the bracket.

9. A beam for presses, comprising a supporting bracket, a base platewelded to the bracket, reinforcing plates extending along centralportions of the base plate heightwise of the bracket and welded to thebase plate, the reinforcing plates being tapered outwardly of the beamin a direction away from the bracket, and a hollow shell enclosing thereinforcing plates in close juxtaposition thereto and welded to the baseplate and to the reinforcing plate and to the base plate, a 1

hollow shell extending over the reinforcing plate and ribs in closejuxtaposition thereto and Welded to the bracket and to the base plate,and a second hollow shell enclcsing the first-mentioned shell and weldedto the bracket and to the base plate.

THEODORE D. PARSONS. ROGER M. SILSBY.

